Useful and sharable resources for animal-based foods... that aren't scary

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February 23, 2024

When did you go down the rabbit hole and learn about the benefits of eating clean, animal-based foods? For me, it was when I was pregnant with my first child. I thought I was eating healthfully... but then my eyes were opened to so much more than is taught in health class and is accepted as "common knowledge" of the time.

And, come on, the internet can be such a scary place to learn about food. Eggs definitely give you high cholesterol. Drinking raw milk will definitely kill you. Lucky Charms are definitely healthier than grass-fed beef(anyone else see that NIH study about the new Food Compass rating system? Ugh). Who funds this stuff?

But once you find trusted sources (you know, the ones backed with unbiased research and typically not served to you by Google), you can't unlearn it. And, the more you learn, the more you want to learn. And, once you gain your food confidence, you want to share it, too!

Heck, if you're daring, maybe you even want to convert your friends that love fast food, are always on the latest trendy diet, or are vegan (gasp!).

Diet can strangely be a tough topic of conversation. After all, what you choose to put in your body is such a personal choice. And once someone makes that choice, they often have strong convictions that are hard to break. In my personal experience, anything contrary to someone's reality will be received as a "conspiracy". But, hey, that doesn't mean you shouldn't start the conversation if you want to!

And an important note: At Miller's Bio Farm, we support each person's food choices! It's something that you and only you can decide. And we hope that you transfer that same respect to others, even if your viewpoints differ 😊

So, this week, I started an amazing resource for you (and maybe even your friends)

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ANIMAL-BASED RESOURCE LIST

MILLER'S BIO FARM BLOG
Our blog is full of great animal-based articles. However, they're mostly about farming practices, the nitty gritty on food ingredients, and cooking techniques... not necessarily health (as those claims can be risky for a company to make). Here's a quick list of our most popular blog posts about health:

WEBSITES

Realmilk.com (raw milk specific)
Raw Milk Institute (raw milk specific)
Weston A. Price Foundation
Global Food Justice
Dr. Kiltz

SOCIAL MEDIA

Lindasy - @animalbased bae (IG)
Rachael Elizabeth - @ribeyerach (IG)
Sustainable Dish (IG and FB)
Weston A Price Foundation (IG and FB)
Chris Irvin - @theketologist (IG)
Dr. Gabeiwlle Lyon (IG)
Dr. Bill Shindler (IG)
Dr. Paul Saladino (IG)
Nourishing Our Children (IG and FB)
Strong Sistas (IG)
Ancestral Health Society (FB)
Joey Jurgovan - @joeysorts (IG)
Lineage Provisions - @lineageprovisions (IG)
Olivia Robertson-Moe, NTP - @revolveprimalhealth (IG)
Judy Cho - @nutritionwithjudy (IG)
Liz Haselmayer - @homegrown_education (IG)
The Primal Bod - @theprimalbody (IG)
Lily Nichols RDN - @lilynicholsrdn (IG)
Animal Based Nutrition - @freddie_alves (IG)

PODCASTS

The Regaissance Podcast

BOOKS

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Ok, I know I'm missing a lot here. Please, help!

What animal-based, real food resources do you love? Have any suggestions to add to our list?

Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us!

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Not a fan of the confusing, greenwashed labels in store? Yea, me too! And it's especially real for me, because I'm responsible for getting our labels approved with the "powers that be". Here's a little story with a big inside scoop... I made new labels for our bone broth a little while ago. It didn't go as smoothly as planned. Why? I put the little icons about our farming practices on them. They look like this: Yup, despite being 100% accurate and true, they were denied!! We're not allowed to put those statements on our food labels. So, I asked the USDA guy, "What would it take to get those claims on the labels, anyway?" The answer was kinda shocking. First off, there's some guidance on wording. Silly technicalities in my opinion. For example, you can't use the term "No Spray" but you can say "Produced without the use of synthetic pesticides." Or another example is that you can't say "No Routine Antibiotics or Vaccines" but you can say "Raised without routine use of antibiotics or vaccines." Second, the processor needs to update their documents to provide traceability. In other words, they need to document how they make sure the bones for our bone broth don't get mixed up with bones from other farms. I mean, this is pretty simple, especially with small batch foods like ours. But the documentation needs to be meticulous. Drafting it in government-approved language can be time consuming and/or costly. And lastly, once you get the wording and process right, you need proof. This was the real shocker for me: Want to know what proof would suffice for all the claims above? A 2-3 sentence affidavit (AKA a super short letter) signed by all farmers that supply us. That's it!? This lead me to a bunch of questions: What if a company submits a letter from one farmer but actually has other farmers that supply them, too? What if a company changes farmers? Will they submit new letters?What if a company's farmers change their practices in the future? Will they immediately update their labels?Are the "powers that be" checking on this? Is anyone checking on this?Is this why most farms and food facilities don't allow outside people coming in? It seems to me that, if a business isn't doing what the label says, the only way to find out is via a whistleblower. And the only way to make them stop is to take them to court. You know, like what's happening with Vital Farms and their pasture raised egg claim right now. It seems to me that, all that good natural stuff on labels - grass fed, pasture raised, antibiotic free, etc - doesn't mean it's true. Certifications are a little better, but the same kinda thing can be said about those, too. This is why, at Miller's, we choose to NOT sell in stores. No wholesale for us. In fact, we don't even have an on farm store. We only sell directly to our customers via our website. And, we choose to only get certified for what's required. This way, we can make our own natural standards. And, we can provide you will all the info and proof you need. Descriptions, photos, blog posts, test results, and more. So, what do you think? Should we do the affidavit thing to get claims on our bone broth labels? What proof do you need to feel confident in your food choices? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - just start typing) or contact us 😊

Useful and sharable resources for animal-based foods... that aren't scary

ANIMAL-BASED RESOURCE LIST

Ok, I know I'm missing a lot here. Please, help!

What animal-based, real food resources do you love? Have any suggestions to add to our list?

More from the blog

Ugh greenwashed labels. What does it take to get ___ on a label anyway?

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566